Selective group energizing system



Dec. 22, 1959 RlETH 2,918,608

SELECTIVE GRQUP ENERGIZING SYSTEM Filed June 25, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet ll8 l9 a m 17 2 3/ I 0 HAROLD F'- -/?/ETH INVENTOR.

BY A

Dec. 22, 1959 .H. F. RIETH 2,918,608

SELECTIVE GROUP ENERGIZING SYSTEM 'Filed June 25, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2SELECTIVE GROUP ENERGIZING SYSTEM Harold F. Rieth, Pasadena, Calif.Application June 25, 1956, Serial No. 593,656 4 Claims. ci. 315-166) Thepresent invention relates generally to a selective group energizingsystem, wherein a plurality of electrically operable devices may beselectively energized in predetermined discriminating groups orcombinations.

Heretofore group switching has in the main been accomplished by theutilization of drum controllers, multicontact circuit breakers, and thelike which necessitated complex switching of the devices into thedesired groups or combinations. Such arrangements were not susceptibleof rapid operation, are bulky and cumbersome, contain moving parts whichpresent a maintenance problem and possible failure, and in general arenot inherently adapted for many applications, where smallness of sizeand dependability become a vital factor.

Having the foregoing in mind, it is a broad concept of the presentinvention to provide a selective group energizing system of the abovecharacter in which the devices are permanently connected in the desiredgroups in a network, and wherein group energization may be accomplishedthrough energizing of a single conductor for each group. i

It is a further object to incorporate such a system into a simple,compact structure wherein the electrically responsive devices andnetwork group energizing circuits are physically arranged in a uniqueunit of small size having single terminal connections for the respectivegroup controls.

Still another object is to provide a system of the herein described typewhich is susceptible of general application, and wherein single contactcontrol for energization of each group permits control from the outputof a radio'tube or transistor, in which the operation of the devices maybe such as to produce, for example, visual, printed or otherwise formedcharacters at a distance or remote station in response to locallyproduced pulses or circuit controllers at a local station. Suchapplications might take the form of score boards, computers, impulsecounters, mechanical counters, remote printers and typewriters, etc.,and in industrial applications finds use in automatic group control ofoperations and processes.

Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the followingpart of the specification, wherein detailed description is for thepurpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitationsthereon.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are for illustrativepurposes only:

Fig. 1 is a view of a simplified network schematically illustrating thebasic concept of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a schematic arrangement of a network for a visualindicatingdevice embodying the features of the present invention; i

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of a unit embodying the systemdisclosed in Fig. 2;

Fig, 4 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 5' is a front elevational view of the same; showing thearrangementof visual indicating devices therein;

Fig. 5 isa view schematically illustrating a modified of controlcircuits 14",

form of the invention, wherein remote indicating and permanent recordingmeans are controlled; Fig. 7 is still another. modificationdiagrammatically illustrating the invention as embodied in a remoteprinter; and

Fig. 8 is a view diagrammatically illustrating the invention as beingcontrolled bymeans of an electronic device. t I I 3 Referring now to.the drawings, for illustrative purposes only, there is shown in Fig. 1a simplified. arrangement of a system for selectively energizing groupsof electrical devices according to the presentinvention. Morespecifically, the simplified arrangement is -.dis'- closed as includinga pluralityof circuits, which are to be controlled, as representedb'ytheqnumerals 10' and 11. These circuits respectively contain gasdiodes, shown as consisting of neon lamps 1 2'jand 1 3'. Aiplurality 15and '16 are provided, .each of these control circuits being respectivelyconnected through control switches 17".,-1 8' and 19 with a con,-

duc tor 20'- whichforms oneside of an electrical source In thesimplified arrangement, the control circuits are connected with thecircuits which-are to be controlled, through resistors, depending uponthe manner in which it is desired to control the neon lamps by actuationof the control switches 'of the control circuits. For illustrativepurposes, the control eircuit 14"is connected with circuit 10' through aresistor 22?." The control circuit 15 is connected through aresistor23;to the circuit 10 and through aresistor, 24 with the circuit 11.Circuit 16' is connected with circuit 11 through resistor 25.

meg ohm value have been utilized. With the system as illustrated in Fig.1,, the lamps 12' and 13' may be selectivelycontrolled, as will now beexplained. Let-it be assumeduth'at it is desired to en ergize the lamp12; This. is accomplished by closing the switch 17',whereupon aprimarycircuit is established through 14','resist or 22', circuit 10 and lamp12. Neon lamps have a striking voltage of approximately 70 volts, anduntil the lamp fires, there-will be substantially no current 'fi'ow tothe lamp. After firing, the voltage drop across the lamp isapproximately constant and therefore the series resistor, resistor 22',in this case acts as a limiting resistor to prevent the lamp from beingdamaged due to high current that could flow through the lamp. As thevoltage is increased, providing lamp 12" has a lower striking voltagethan lamp 13, lamp'12' will light and in this case give a visualindication. It will be readily appreciated that this visual indicationmay be utilized-in the formation of characters by group energization ofa plurality of lamps, as will hereafter be explained, or advantage maybe taken of the How of current through the lamp to operate other devicesin a manner which willhereafter be explained more fully. In the aboveexample, under ordinary circumstances, a circuit will also beestablished from the circuit 14" through resistors 23' and 24, andthence throughcircuit 11' and lamp 13. However, in this case theresistors 23 and 24' will act to reduce the voltage applied to lamp 13,so that under ordinary circumstances the lamp 13' will not light.However, the situation might arise; wherein the lamp 13' would have alower striking voltage than the lamp 12", and that the resistors 23' and24' would not reduce the voltage sufficiently t'o prevent use lamp-13from lighting prior to lamp 12". However, under such circumstances 12'is raised sufficiently to reach a striking point, the

as the voltage applied to lamp r. t 3 lamp 12 will light, and upon sodoing, the lamp 13 will be extinguished due to the fact that the voltageacross lamp 12' is at this time too low to maintain the strikingvoltageoflamp 13'. Thus under some conditions, the lamp 13"mightbe'lighted for an instant.

The lamps 12 and 13' are shown as being connected for group operation byactuation of the switch 18'. Thus, closure of switch 18' will energizeeach of the lamps 12' and 13 through .a single resistor, namely resistor23 and resistor 24' respectively.

'lo'eontrol the lamp 13', this may be accomplished by actuation of theswitch 19, whereupon the primary energizing circuit for the lamp will bethrough resistor 25'. The same situation may occur in this case aspreviously described, wherein the lamp 12' may momentarily be energizedthrough resistors 23' and 24. It will therefore be seen that the lamps,which are connected for actuation by the closure of a single controlswitch, are energized in each case through a single resistor,whilebackfeed to the other lamps will be through at least two resistorswhich will act to prevent energization of the unwanted lamps. Referringnow to Figs. 2, the basic principles of my invention are shown as beingembodied. in a selective group energizing system wherein singleswitching devices are utilized for group energization of the lamps, thelamp groups being so arranged that upon energization they form discreetcharacters, in this case visually representative of the numerals fromlto 10.

- For the above purpose, the lamps are shown in Fig. as being arrangedupon a supporting panel 51, the lamps being indicated by the letters ato t inclusive and being arranged in the general configuration of afigure 8 as conventionally utilized in electric signs for the successivedisplay of numerals by group energization of the lamps. While the lampshave been illustrated as arranged for the display of numerals, it is tobe understood that lamp banks may be arranged for the display of othercharacters such as'letters, etc., and that the fundamental concepts ofmy invention may be utilized to control the group energization of suchlamps in the same manner as described for numerals.

Referring again to Fig. 2, the electric group energizing system is inthis embodiment arranged in a network made u of first" conductors whichare'successively indicated by numerals 11 to 20 inclusive, and whichconstitute single control lines such as those previously indicated at14' in Fig. l, the control lines being connected through switches 21 to30 respectively to the conductor 20"forming one side of an electricalsource of potential. The switches 21 to 30 inclusive permit individualenergization of the lines 11 to 20. respectively, and these switcheshave further been identified together with their associated lines withindicia successively numbering from 1 to'10. Thus, when the switch 24corresponding to the indicia 4 is closed. lamps a, d, e, f, g, j, k, l,m, n, p and t on the panel 51 will be energized to form the numeral 4 asindicated by the shaded lamps in Fig. 5. The same is true for the otherindicating indicia 1 to inclusive.

The lamps a to t inclusive have one of their terminals connected withthe common conductor 21' forming the other side of the electricalpotential source. The other terminals of these lamps are respectivelyconnected to second conductors 31 to 50 inclusive. The selectivegrouping of the lamps to be controlled by the respective switches 21 to30 inclusive, so as to properly form the required visual indicia, whenenergized, is accomplished by connecting each first conductor to each ofits group lamps through a resistor of appropriate value. The conductor11 is connected to the respective conductors 34, 36, 40, 44, 46 and 50through resistors 11d, 11 111', 11m, 11;; and 11! respectively;conductor 12 connected to conductors 31, 32, 33, 36, 40, 41, 42, 43, 45,47, 48,

49 and 50 through resistors 12a, 12b, 12c, 12 12 12k,

121, 12m, 120, 121 122', 12s, and 12! respectively; conductor 13 beingconnected to conductors 31, 32, 33, 36, 38, 39, 44, 46, 47, 48 and 49through resistors 13a, 13b, 13c, 13], 1311, 13:, 1311, 13p, 13g, 13r and13s; conductor 14 being connected with conductors 31, 34, 35, 36, 37,40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 46 and 50 through resistors 14a, 14d, 14e, 14f, 14g,14 14k, 14!, 14m, 14n, 14p and Mt respectively; conductor 15 beingconnected to conductors 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 37, 38 39, 44, 46, 47, 48and 49 through resistors 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d, 15e, 15g, 15k, 151', 15n,15p, 15q, 151 15s, respectively; conductor 16 being connected toconductors 32, 33, 34, 35, 37, 38, 39, 41, 44, 45, 46, 48 and 49 throughresistors 16b, 16c, 16d, 162, 16g, 1611, 161', 16k, 1.6n, 16o, 16p, 16rand 165, respectively; conductor 17 being connected to conductors 31,32, 33, 34, 36, 40, 44, 46 and 50 through resistors 17a, 17b, 17c, 17d,17], 17 1711, 17p and 1'7t, respectively; conductor 18 being connectedto conductors 32, 33, 35, 36, 38, 39, 41, 44, 45, 46, 48 and 49 throughresistors 18b, 180, 18a, 18 18h, 181', 18k, 181:, 180, 18;), 18r, 18s,respectively; conductor 19 being connected to conductors 32, 33, 35, 36,37, 40, 42, 43, 44, 46, 47, 48 and 49 through resistors 19b, 19c, 19e,19f, 19g, 19j, 19l, 19m, 1911, 19p, 19q, 191 and 19s, respectively; andconductor 20 is connected to conductors 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 40, 41, 44,45, 46, 48 and 49 through resistors 20b, 20c, 20c, 20f, 20g, 201', 201:,2011, 200, 28p, 28)- and 20s, respectviely.

From the above, it will be apparent that the first conductor feeds eachlamp of its connected group through a primary circuit containing oneresistor, whereas backfeed from a first conductor to a lamp in a groupconnected to another first conductor will be through at least two of theresistors, as explained in the network disclosed in Fig. 1. Theresistors therefore operate to discriminate in the selection of similarlamps for the different groupmgs.

The network system as disclosed in Fig. 2 is embodied in a uniquecompact unit structure as shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4. As shown,the panel 51, containing the lamps a to t, inclusive, and arranged asshown in Fig. 5 is assembled permanently with a plurality of panels 52to 63 inclusive which are arranged rearwardly of the panel 51 and occupyrelative parallel positions with respect to each other. Panel 52 ispermanently supported rearwardly of panel 51 by means of a pair ofsecuring bolts 64 and 65, each of these bolts being associated with atubular spacer 66 which determines the interval between the panels 51and 52. The panels 53 to 62 inclusive correspond with the respectivenumeral indicia as represented by the first conductors 11 to 20inclusive, and each of these panels contain the first conductor togetherwith the respective resistors which connect the first conductor with thesecond conductors to feed the specific group associated with the firstconductor. Each of the panels embodies the conductors and componentresistors either as separate components or in printed circuitarrangements. The last panel 63 constitutes a terminal panel to whichterminal connections are brought out respectively by terminal wires 67from the panels 53 to 62 inclusive, while wires as indicated at 68 arecarried along the side edges of the panels and form connections from therespective panel circuits to the lamps. The connection wires 67 and 68pass through edge notches in the panels and thus constitute a holdingmeans for the intermediate panels. The physical arrangement of thecircuits and lamps, as shown in Fig. 3 and 4, thus constitutes a compactassembly which makes the system practical for commercial applicationsand eliminates the large complex switching arrangements utilizing drumcontrollers, etc., as heretofore utilized.

The system as described above constitutes a visual indicatingarrangement whereby the visual indicating devices in the form of neonlamps may be group energized to indicate visually discernible charactersin the form of numerals. It will be appreciated that the lamps may belocated at a remote point, while the control switches for selecting thegroups may be placed at a local station. The basic concept is readilyadaptable, however, for obtaining other types of indications andrecordings, and as exemplary of such an adaptation, there is shown inFig. 6 an arrangement whereby a permanent record may be obtained. Inthis modification, resistors are connected in series with the diods orneon lamps. For example, such resistors as indicated by the numerals 69,70, 71 and 72 have been shown in series with the lamps a, b, c, and drespectively, and similar resistors would be con nected in series withthe other lamps. These resistors, when the associated lamp in circuittherewith fires, form a source of potential which may be utilized forthe actuation of other devices. For example, these potentials may beutilized for producing a written record at a distance. This may be donein several ways. As shown, the conductor 21', which forms a commonconnection to one terminal of the resistors may be connected to anelectrode in the form of a plate member 73 which is adapted to have aspecial voltage sensitive paper strip 74 moved thereover. On the otherside of the strip 74, there are provided a plurality of styluses asindicated at a, b, c, d, corresponding to the neon lamps a, b, c, d,etc., and arranged in the same geometrical figure as shown in Fig. 5.These styluses are respectively connected to the opposite terminals ofthe resistors 69, 70, 71 and 72 so that when a voltage appears acrossthe resistor, a potential similarly appears between the stylus and theelectrode 73 having the paper strip 74 therebetween. This voltage willproduce a chemical change in the paper strip and thus give a permanentwritten record of each character formed by the respective groups as theyare successively energized. It is to be understood, of course, thatduring the time the styluses are energized, relative movement will beterminated between the styluses and the strip 74 by means known to thoseskilled in the art, and deemed unnecessary to show herein. A number ofpapers have been commercially developed which are suitable for use asjust explained. One type is commercially available under the trade nameTeledos. This type of paper constitutes a dry method of reproduction.Additionally, there are other papers which may be used in a wet processprinting wherein the paper is subjected to a solution of phenolphthaleinand potassium chloride.

Another way in which the potentials across the resistors may be utilizedis shown in Fig. 7. In this arrangement, the voltages are utilized toactuate solenoids, a", b", c", d" which serve to mechanically press thestyluses against a suitable paper such as a carbon paper 74' and thus byexerting mechanical pressure form a permanent record on the moveablestrip during periods of nonmovement of the strip relative to thestyluses.

As thus far described, the group selection controls have comprised themechanically manually operable switches 21 to 30 inclusive. It will beappreciated, however, that if desired, these switches may beautomatically actuated in timed sequence if such operation is calledfor. Also, since the control and selection of various groupsisaccomplished through the closing of a single pair of contacts, thesystem is readily adapted to be controlled by means of electron devicessuch as vacuum tubes and transistors. As shown in Fig. 8, the firstconductors 11, 12, 13, 14, etc., may be respectively connected in theplate circuits of control vacuum tubes 75, 76, 77, 78, etc., thusenabling the invention to be utilized under many and variedapplications.

Various modifications may suggest themselves to those skilled in the artwithout departing from the spirit of my invention, and, hence, I do notwish to be restricted to the specific form or forms shown or the usesmentioned, except to the extent indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A selective group energizing system, comprising: an electric source;a plurality of first conductors; means for selectively connecting eachof said first conductors with one side of said electric source; aplurality of electrically energizable devices, each having a pair ofconnection terminals, one terminal of each of said devices beingconnected with the other side of said electric source; a plurality ofsecond conductors respectively connected with the other terminals ofsaid devices; and resistors interconnected between each of said firstconductors and those second conductors having connection with such ofsaid devices as may be required to be energized as a group, when theconnected first conductor is energized.

2. A network control system, comprising: a plurality of electricallyenergizable devices adapted to be permanently connected into discretegroups; a plurality of selectable group control wires, each of saidwires determining the operation of a specific group of said devicesconnected thereto; and means connecting the electrical devices with saidcontrol wires including resistor elements cooperable to energizinglydiscriminate between those of said devices which are contained in agroup connected with a selected wire, and those devices contained in agroup connected with a nonselected wire.

3. A selective group energizing system, comprising: an electric source;a plurality of first conductors; means for selectively connecting eachof said first conductors with one side of said electric source; aplurality of electrically energizable neon lamps, each having a pair ofconnection terminals, one terminal of each of said lamps being connectedwith the other side of said electric source; a plurality of secondconductors respectively connected with the other terminals of saidlamps; and resistors connecting each of said second conductors with morethan one of said first conductors, whereby the group of lamps connectedwith one of said first conductors, upon its being energized, will fireand establish low impedance circuits therethrough which prevent firingof other lamps connected to a non-selected first conductor.

4. A selective group energizing system, comprising: an electric source;a plurality of first conductors; means for selectively connecting eachof said first conductors with one side of said electric source; aplurality of electrically energizable neon lamps, each having a pair ofconnection terminals, one terminal of each of said lamps being connectedwith the other side of said electric source; a plurality of secondconductors respectively connected with the other terminals of saidlamps; and resistors connecting each of said second conductors with morethan one of said first conductors, said resistors and said neon lamps,which are connected to a selected first conductor coacting toswitchingly determine and simultaneously provide group indication, uponcompleting the circuit through said selected first conductor.

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